Our first course review is both an Everyman course and an Everyman Preferred course. While some of their tee time prices push beyond our $65 target to qualify as an Everyman course, they also offer a good number of green fees that fall well within the Everyman price range. I played the course for $49 and easily completed 18 holes before dusk. $49 for a course of this quality and beauty makes this one of the best Everyman courses I’ve ever played.

With such gorgeous vistas of the desert and distant mountains, the Pete Dye designed Paiute Golf Resort is the most spectacular of the Las Vegas courses I’ve played so far.

While Bali Hai’s view of the strip’s high rises is certainly interesting, the proximity to McCarron airport leaves the overall aesthetics of the complete course lacking when compared to the natural expanses surrounding Paiute Golf Resort. Getting to those wide open spaces does require about a 25 minute highway drive from the strip but I’ve spent 25 minutes going just a few blocks between casinos. The drive to Paiute is easy and well worth it, especially if you like natural scenery as part of your golfing experience.

There are certainly courses in the Vegas area that I have yet to play but I’ve also played a few including Bali Hai, Desert Pines, Royal Links and Las Vegas National. In terms of grounds keeping and layout Paiute is at least equal to the higher priced courses at Bali Hai, Royal links and Desert Pines while definitely exceeding the similarly priced Las Vegas National.

The resort offers three courses: Sun Mountain, Snow Mountain and The Wolf. I played The Wolf course on a 58 degree day with 5-20 mph sustained winds and occasional stronger gusts. High clouds filtered some sunlight but the day was mainly sunny. I played from the yellow tees which suited my 18 handicap just fine. Fairways provided some generous landing areas, but if you do send your ball into the desert, consider leaving it there. There are snakes and critters in those areas and finding balls isn’t always easy. When you do find your ball, it is often scratched or in a lie that will ravage your club. Treating anything outside the maintained grassy areas as a lateral hazard will speed everyone’s play and increase your enjoyment greatly.

On the day I played, I saw a couple of coyotes, several large road runners, lizards, birds of prey and lots of water fowl (including one water fouled shot of my own making). Speaking of water holes, one of the coolest features of The Wolf course was the 15th hole’s island green that bears more than a passing resemblance to the island green at TPC Sawgrass. The folks in front of me claimed to have played Sawgrass more than once and reported that this green is very similar, although the tee shot is longer at Paiute (166 v 125). Given that Pete Dye designed both courses, I suspect it is possible that the two island greens are in fact quite similar.

I shot a 90 which I was pleased with but felt I could have scored even better. I consistently struggled to keep 100+ yard approach shots on the green. The greens rolled very true and were in great shape. They were also firm and had quite a bit of slope which meant anything not in exactly the right spot was headed off the green. While I did some waiting on a few holes the pace of play was very good and I completed my round in just over 4 hours. This is my new “Go To” course when I’m in the Las Vegas area and I can’t over-state just how delightful an everyman experience Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort provided.

Here’s our standard data on the round:
 
Overall: A+
Tee/cart: $49
Includes: Round, Cart, Range
Grounds Quality: A
Greens: A
Fun: A+
Scenery: A
Pace: B
Facilities: A
Staff Vibe: A+
Bev Cart: A
Food on course: D – Overpriced hard bread and meat (not even a tomato or lettuce)
Food/Bev $: Golf Course Avg
Food clubhouse: Didn’t sample

Date(s) Played: 1/15/2015
Location: Las Vegas, NV
EMG Preferred: Yes
Everyman Course: Yes
Par: 72
Score: 90 (72)
Setting: Desert and Mountains
Style: Desert Links-ish
Weather: 58 degrees, wind 5-20 stronger gusts, mainly sunny, high clouds
Wildlife: Coyotes, Road Runners, Birds of pray, water fowl, snakes, lizards
Tees played: Yellow
Day of Week: Thursday
Best Features: Scenery, course, staff, Island Green replica hole
Worst: On course snack bar
Dress Code: Shirts with collar/mock necks and sleeves(men), NO denim.